


Black Skies [EDITING]

by Sasarious



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: But I'll probably get more into, Gen, I have this cool plot, I'll add other tags and warnings when I need to, Post Ending, So it might be shitty at the start, angst with possible happy ending, but I can't convey it really well, lol idk, pls give it a try, umm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-01
Updated: 2015-06-15
Packaged: 2018-04-02 08:25:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4053259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sasarious/pseuds/Sasarious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a year after Slaine has been confined in a cell. News breaks out that an epidemic has spread on Vers and the ministers panic, they don't know if it will affect Earth. They shut the hypergate down until Asseylum can verify that it doesn't affect humans but Inaho's worried about Slaine. When Asseylum explained the behaviour that the diseased people had it matched up with the outbursts Slaine had been having lately.</p><p>Was the virus an accident or is it part of a bigger plan? What will happen to the fragile relationship between Vers and Earth?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It Started With A Dream (Nightmare)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry this is probably really rushed ;; I wanted to have the main element of the plot done before I moved on. Also I have not proof read this (and since I wrote it on my phone) there will be a lot of stupid mistakes so please bear with me! Hopefully you'll understand but I'll get to proof reading straight away!

Slaine had his back turned to the cold stone room with a thin blanket covering his head. He listened to the footsteps of the guards as they approached his cell and rapped firmly on the door, sliding a tray of food through a gap. He ignored the meal and continued to stare at the stone wall, soft rays of sunlight poured in through the small, barred "window". Slaine closed his eyes and clicked his tongue in annoyance when he heard the familiar footsteps of Inaho. He heard the muffled conversation between him and the guards as they explained that Slaine hadn't eaten anything for 2 days.

His stomach ached for food but Slaine had no appetite and the very sight of food made his stomach twist and churn. He heard the door open and gritted his teeth as the shrill sound of metal sliding against stone echoed throughout the room. The room fell into total silence once again after Inaho stepped in. The guards lingered around at the entrance, in case Slaine tried to escape or harm Inaho. Slaine never tried to escape; he was too tired and sore and he deserved this. Inaho always visited once a week at the exact same time on the same day, much to Slaine's annoyance. It would've been better if he stopped visiting, Slaine complained mentally.  
  
"Slaine, the guards told me you haven't been eating again." Inaho stated, calmly walking towards the table set in the middle of the room. He sat in the chair and looked at the chessboard. It had not been touched in a while and it was still Slaine's turn. So far, they hadn't gone past 5 turns. At this rate, he was going to play by himself. He turned his attention back to Slaine, who had not stirred since he entered the room.  
  
"I know you're not sleeping, your breathing is too shallow," Inaho observed and raised an eyebrow when there was still no response.  
  
"Troyard, answer me." Inaho commanded and when there was no reaction he stood up and made his way to Slaine's bed. This was one of the rare luxuries they allowed Slaine to have. Inaho reached down and the response was almost immediate.  
  
"Don't touch me!" Slaine shouted, his right hand swiping towards Inaho, his face twisted with fear and anxiety. He stepped back in response and the guards came running in but he dismissed them. He noted the reaction Slaine had to physical contact and decided to delve more into this matter. Slaine returned to his initial position but his breathing increased and became heavier. Inaho's phone vibrated in his pocket and he read an update sent by the UFE. There was an important meeting about Vers in an hour and he needed to be present. He gave one last stare at Slaine before heading back towards the door.  
  
"I'll be back later to check on you. Make sure you eat," Slaine ignored him and continued to face the wall. In truth, he wanted to talk to Inaho but he didn't want to play right into their hands. Slaine squeezed his eyes shut as he heard the TV switch off in the guards room. _Please don't come in here,_ Slaine pleaded silently, unconsciously rubbing the dark purple bruises on his legs. He didn't want to be kept here; he wanted to be dead, for his body to be lying in some ditch, rotting away while his "legacy" continued. He heard what the news said about him, how they described him and his acts. He listened to it over and over until it was full and etched into his mind. He was the leader in the assassination attempt or how he wasn't like his father. He was tired of how he was framed to be the leader in the plot, but what could he do? No one would believe him anyway.  
  
"Get up." A voice growled and their shadow appeared on the wall in front of Slaine. When there was no response one of the guards swung his baton towards the lump and Slaine bit his lower lip to prevent his cry from coming out.  
  
"Still not responding?" Another painful whack.  
  
"You think you're so superior? You're nothing here. I don't know why they decided to keep you alive. Worthless." They’re right. Why does the prin- no, empress, still want him alive? She never visits and Inaho never gives any information about her. If she has forgotten about him then why bother keeping him alive? When Slaine remained unresponsive the guards finally got tired of him. The other yanked the blanket off him and roughly grabbed his neck. Slaine gasped silently as the breath was knocked out of him. His arms hung limply by his sides but his whole body tensed up. The guard lifted him up and slammed him against the wall. A loud, painful crack resonated through the silence before she repeated the action a few more times and slammed his onto the bed. The other guard laughed and high-fived her as they walked out the room.  
  
"Hey that should make me in the lead now." She chuckled as she slammed the door shut. Slaine groaned softly and curled up in a fetal position, hugging himself tightly as he tried to regain his breathing. Slaine ached more and he grabbed the blanket and tossed it over him. Slaine almost wanted to cry. Instead he closed his eyes and tried to sleep for real, he wanted to get away from their shrill laughter. He couldn't wait until Inaho came back, he offered some protection to their beatings. Slaine slowly slipped away into unconsciousness and their laughter died out.  
  
* * *  
  
Representatives from the UFE stood around in the conference room, chatting to one another while the podium was being set up. The Kaizuka siblings walked into the room together and headed to the middle row to find a seat.  
  
"Inaho, what do you think it's going to be about?" The older sibling asked as the room quietened down and everyone focused on the podium. Inaho shrugged and kept looking straight ahead. A large screen switched on and Empress Asseylum Vers Allusia appeared.  
  
"Thank you for gathering on such short notice, I'm sure most of you are busy." Inaho noticed that most of the audience slightly nodded in agreement, annoyed that they had to push their schedule back.  
  
"However," Asseylum continued, "a new disease has been discovered on Vers and we're not sure if it affects people on Earth. So far, only Vers people have shown symptoms, however there may be a time where the symptoms show on Earth and we need to stop it before it becomes an epidemic." The audience burst in rage and surprise and shouts filled the room. The Empress tried to calm everyone down but it wasn't working. The relationship between Earth and Vers was still fragile and something like an epidemic could tip the scales.  
  
"Inaho! What's going to happen?" Yuki suddenly shouted, interrupting Inaho's thoughts.  
  
"I don't know, Yuki-nee. I predict that they'll cut off the hyper gate until the situation has solved itself however Vers probably needs medical supplies that we might not give seeing as we're low on supped after the war. This could get complicated." Inaho stared at the Empress who was still trying to calm the crowd and a wave of disappointment suddenly washed over him. When did the Empress start to disappoint him? Inaho asked that question a lot yet struggled to find an answer. Inaho checked the time and the watch displayed 12:39pm. 21 more minutes until the guard's shifts change and he still needed to check the reports.  
  
"Yuki-nee, I have to go."  
  
"But the conference isn't over!"  
  
"Tell me about it when I get back."  
  
"Inaho!" Yuki-nee wailed but Inaho already got up and walked off. He hopped into the car and started driving towards the prison. The news of an epidemic in Vers was surprising and Inaho had different possibilities of what they were going to do.  
  
* * *  
  
Slaine awoke to the sound of water splashing and birds cawing in the distance. He sat up slowly and felt the rough texture of sand underneath him. Where was he? Slaine opened his mouth to talk but no sound came out, no matter how hard he tried. He gave up moments after and stood up. The water splashed against the beach and its dazzling blue made Slaine relax. He was overcome by a strong desire to get in the water and immediately took his shoes off. After all, this was a dream. What's the worst that could happen? He walked over to the water, deliberately sinking his feet into the sand to feel the roughness that felt so smooth against his skin, if that even made sense.  
  
The water washed over his feet and he woke up in an instant, his whole body tensed and his eyes unfocused and blurry. He felt like he had trouble getting air into his lungs and panic took control of his body. He thrashed about, clutching his neck as he desperately tried to breathe. Was he going to die like this? This wasn't the way he wanted to go but it was better than nothing. The screech of the metal door and the shouts of the guards fade into nothing as Slaine closed his eyes.  
  
“…ine. Slaine.” Slaine’s eyes opened and they rolled about in an unfocused manner. Inaho gave a small sigh and his shoulders relaxed. Slaine opened his mouth and tried to speak, instead a throaty squeak came out and he clenched his teeth.  
  
“I suggest that you don’t talk. It seems that you suffered some neck and head injuries, according to the examination the doctor did while you were unconscious. I’ll talk to you about that later,” Inaho nodded towards one of the guards who stepped forward and gave Inaho a glass of water.  
  
“Drink this for now.” Slaine reached for the glass and slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. He hastily gulped down the water, accidentally spilling some onto his shirt. He wiped away the water dribbling down his chin and handed the glass back to Inaho. He reached for the bed and crawled back into the blanket, signalling that he didn’t want to talk. Inaho walked out the room and made a beeline for the guards’ office. He rummaged for the records that talked about Slaine’s behaviour this morning. Inaho frowned when he could not find the records. He was getting impatient with the two morning guards. They’ve failed in writing 3 reports in the last month and it wasn’t a good standard. He decided to directly confront Slaine about what was really happening since he would probably get more information out of him. He marched back into the room and approached Slaine’s bed.  
  
“Get up and follow me.” Inaho didn’t waste a second dealing with Slaine’s behaviour, “Troyard, get up and follow me, this is an order. Failure to comply with orders will mean that we’ll move you by force. This is your last chance.” Slaine hesitated but slowly lifted the blanket, not wanting to go but not wanting to get taken by force. He sighed and slipped out of what little protection he had. He felt so bare without the blanket covering him, and everyone’s gaze fell onto him. He stretched out his hands, expecting the handcuffs to come any second.  
  
Inaho stared at the older man. Was he really the same Slaine Troyard that he faced a year ago? The ferocious and commanding aura had faded and he let his submissiveness come back. Inaho grabbed the cuffs and slipped them onto Slaine’s wrists. He trudged after Inaho with the guards trailing behind and they led him to another room. The room was bare except for the table and two chairs placed in the middle. There were no windows and the fluorescent light hurt Slaine’s eyes. Inaho sat down and Slaine sighed as slid down in his seat, staring at the emotionless man in front of him.  
  
“If this is about me not eating-“ Inaho interrupted him by holding up his palm. The guards slowly closed the door and when he heard a soft click he got onto business.  
  
“What happened this morning?” Slaine bowed his head and started fiddling with his fingers, trying to think of an excuse.  
  
“I probably didn’t get enough oxygen because I covered my head.” His mumble barely audible but Inaho frowned. There was something he was hiding and he was going to find out what it was.  
  
“You don’t go into shock just because you covered your head. Did it have anything to do with the guards?” Slaine flinched slightly and bit his lower lip. Other people may not have caught on but nothing could get past Inaho.  
  
“What did they do?” Slaine shook his head vigorously which fuelled Inaho on.  
  
“Slaine, what did they do to you?” Slaine avoided eye contact with Inaho and kept looking down at his lap.   
  
"Troyard, this is an order. Tell me what happened." Thoughts rushed through Slaine's mind and intense anger washed over him.   
  
"You're all the same." He mumbled, clenching his fist until his blunt fingernails dug into his skin.   
  
"Pardon?" Slaine slammed the table with his fists.   
  
"I said you're all the same! Why do you pretend to care about me?! She hasn't visited me once yet she keeps me alive? For what purpose? Does she think she's doing me a favour?!"   
  
"Slaine, calm down-"  
  
"DO YOU KNOW HOW SICK AND TIRED I AM OF LISTENING TO THE SAME DAMN NEWS OVER AND OVER, SAYING HOW I WAS THE LEADER IN THAT BLOODY ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT?! YOU KNOW NOTHING AT ALL! 'Oh he's so different from his father'" Tears welled up in Slaine's eye as he collapsed to the floor. The guards rushed in but Inaho stopped them. This was the first time he had made such an outburst, it could be valuable data to add to his profile.   
  
"He was never there for me when I was young. Did he think discovering some ancient device was a good enough excuse to abandon his son?" His head shot up and he glared at Inaho with such intensity it felt like they were back to a year ago.   
  
"You should have killed me. You should've put a bullet through my head a year ago on that beach. You should've just let me die in space!"  
  
A wave of nausea hit Slaine and he gagged before fainting. The guards reacted immediately and hauled him up. Inaho examined his pale complexion and the dark rings under his eyes. Inaho guessed that he passed out from his hunger.   
  
"Take him back to his bed and have the doctor prepare to feed him with a tube." Inaho commanded while the guards took Slaine out. He decided to check the guards' office one more time before heading back. The time displayed on his watch was 1:47pm. He darted into the office and checked the morning guard's desk instead. Inaho spotted a piece of paper badly hidden within the reports. He grabbed it and read the contents. He inhaled sharply as he slammed the piece of paper onto their desk.  
  
Did they think they had a right to hurt Slaine? Inaho found himself doubting himself but Slaine was still human and no one should be treated like a punching bag for enjoyment. He prioritised replacing those guards before Slaine got hurt more. He marched out the office, the guards at the front entrance saluting Inaho as he hopped back into his car.   
  
Slaine didn't have any need to hide the abuse so, why did he? Slaine was more complex than he made out to be.   
  
* * *  
  
He woke up on the same beach and he sat up quickly. Just a minute ago... His face twisted with embarrassment and hate. How could he allow himself to lose his composure like that? He headed towards the water without taking off his shoes. _This was a dream so it shouldn't matter_ Slaine told himself.   
  
He wadded in the water until it got to his knee height. He felt something tugging at his legs before his eyes snapped open, surprising the doctor. He unconsciously reached for his legs.   
  
"They're dry..." Slaine muttered. What did he expect? Still, that dream was very realistic. The doctor gave him a weird glance.   
  
"What's dry?"   
  
"It's nothing." They didn't press any further but they scribbled some notes about what he said.

“Make sure you eat, we wouldn’t want you fainting again,” they chuckled lightly as they packed their medical tools away. They shot him a small smile before walking off. _You shouldn’t treat me so nicely_ , Slaine bowed his head. He didn’t want to cause trouble for anyone but he didn’t have an appetite nor did he want to do anything but sleep. He lay down in his bed and thought about his outburst the other day. Anger boiled through his veins and he frowned, conflicted by his feelings. Why do I feel so angry? He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, hoping sleep would wear off the burning in his heart. His mind drifted off and didn’t wake up until dinner arrived.

Inaho read through the report and compared it with Slaine’s last outburst. Recently, Slaine was behaving aggressively, almost every day, something that wasn’t common when he was first confined. Was it because of the stress? Or was reality catching up to him? He was aggressive enough that they had to administer sedatives in order to calm him down. Inaho’s thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone buzzing in his pocket. He read the update sent by the UFE; apparently Asseylum has more information on the virus going on around Vers. He slipped the report back into the folder and placed it in the cabinet.

He grabs his jacket and heads towards the parked vehicle outside and where his sister was waiting. He hops into the passenger seat and Yuki starts the car.

“Where to?” Yuki asks as she roughly reverses after Inaho buckles his seatbelt.

“The UFE sent me an update, it seems that the Empress has more news on the virus.” Inaho read the text again and instructed Yuki where to go. She drove off with Inaho to the conference area where Asseylum was waiting.

* * *

Slaine woke up on the same deserted beach and the smell of salt blasted his nose. The seagulls screamed overhead as they glided through the sky, swooping and playing with each other. _It must be nice to fly like that_ Slaine attempted to say, instead his mouth hung open and no words came out. He sat up and hugged his knees to his chest, playing with the sand which fell from his hands like a waterfall. He stood up and swirled around, kicking the sand until he focused his attention on the mass of vegetation behind him. There were tropical trees that held fruit like banana’s and coconuts, with a dense population of vines and trees behind it. He started to walk up the steep and rocky wall but something stopped him.

**Go to the water.**

_I don’t want to. Not yet._ Slaine craned his neck, trying to find the source of the voice. He turned to face the water again and the seagulls had disappeared and the only thing that reflected on the ocean’s surface was the giant black orb. He stared at the shimmering water before the voice appeared again, booming in all directions.

**Go to the water.**

_No! Why do I have to go?_

In an instant, the colours inverted and the water, sand and sky turned into an ugly black that made Slaine nauseated. The dense forest behind him disappeared and he was left alone on the island with the murky water. The water slowly inched closer to him and he pressed his back against the barrier that blocked his path.

**You have to. You have to.**

**Go to the water or it will be painful.**

Slaine shook his head, feeling the acidity of his vomit in his throat. He didn’t trust himself to open his mouth without throwing up. The waves rose above his head and came crashing down onto the beach, drenching Slaine in the foul, black liquid. He gasped as he lay in the sand, drenched and even queasier. He hardly had any time to take another breath when the water snaked around his body and started dragging him against the beach, the rough sand scraping his skin. He opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out and silent tears filled his eyes. He felt his ankles in the gooey water and resigned himself to his fate, unable to escape.

He shut his eyes and relaxed his body, the water swallowing him into, the now warm, darkness. He felt his body heavily sink under the water, going deeper and deeper. _It’s warm… It’s nice here._ He felt at ease and safe. Slaine shut his eyes as he continued to float down the deep, warm abyss.

Inaho hurried back into the vehicle despite Yuki’s scolding. He stepped on the gas and went as quick as the traffic would let him back to the prison- no, back to where Slaine was. Asseylum’s words, before she was cut off for unknown reasons, replayed again and again inside his mind and worry washed over him.

_“Anyone who has contracted the virus begins to act aggressively, even if they were completely calm or apathetic before.”_

The made a rough turn and roughly slammed the brakes in front of the entrance to the unit. He jogged into the building, ignoring the guards at the entrance that saluted him.

_“They have vivid dreams that they are near some body of water. Once they enter the water, the dream ends.”_

**_“They’re dry…”_ **

Slaine… If Slaine had that virus then… He shoved the door, ignoring the high-pitched screech that erupted. All the guards and the doctor stared blankly before everyone burst and the room became a jumble of words.

“Stop!” Inaho commanded and unintentionally glared at the doctor, making them gulp with fear mixed with adrenaline, “what happened?”

“Slaine, he-“

_“We don’t know what happens if they submerge but-“static interrupted Asseylum’s stream and moments after it was connected again._

Inaho strode to Slaine’s bed and the crowd parted to let him through. The blond sat upright on the bed, his cerulean eyes wide and alert but a playful demeanour displayed on his face. He smiled- a sincere smile- at Inaho before cocking his head to the side slightly.

“Who are you?”

_“They’ll lose their memories of Vers. We-“_ Asseylum was cut off and never reconnected.

 


	2. You Can Forgive But You Don't Need To Forget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though Slaine is a fugitive on Earth, there are still people willing to forgive. However, not all are nice. Inaho has gone to report Slaine's condition to the UFE. Slaine has befriended the guards but Yuki makes a sudden entrance? She had no idea they hadn't executed him yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, see the thing with me is that I'm really inconsistent and I'm sorry. So if you see any errors please message me on my tumblr (godspeed-killua.tumblr.com) or something (please, I would hate to see an error after a long time!). 
> 
> Secondly, I write the chapters at like ungodly times so there are so many mistakes??? And I do it on my phone but I did proof read this though it hasn't been beta read.
> 
> Thirdly, I'm planning to make it so there's a new chapter every week! Or at least I'll try too. I mean I have school and stuff but try to expect a chapter every Monday or maybe earlier. 
> 
> Anyway~ enjoy the chapter~

“Who are you?” Inaho was taken aback, but not as much as the others, who stood with their mouths agape, frozen with shock. Slaine’s eyes darted around, catching a glimpse of everyone’s faces. _Why do they look like that? Is it me?_ Slaine shuffled uncomfortably and fiddled with his fingers. Inaho noticed that Slaine’s cheeks had more colour than before, making him seem healthier. The silence was growing uncomfortable but it seemed that mostly everyone had come to terms with the situation.

“Leave us.” The guards panicked and tried to convince him it was not a wise decision. The doctor shrugged and walked out, leaving the task to the guards. Slaine eavesdropped on their conversation, his heart pounding and blood rushed through his ears. ‘He could be dangerous’, ‘We don’t know what he might do’. Were they talking about him? He covered his ears, not wanting to hear any more of their conversation yet the phrases he heard before danced around, mocking him. Memories played in his head like he was in a cinema and he watched them, unable to turn away.

_“He’s so weird!” Mocked one of the boys, the rest of the children snickering._

_“His hair and eye colour is so weird!” Squealed a young girl._

_“Go away! Go away!”_

_“We don’t want you here!” They all chanted and picked up what they could find on the dusty ground, rocks, rubbish and dirt, and started throwing them at Slaine, who clenched his eyes and fiddled with his fingers. He didn’t move nor speak, instead he took each hit silently until the others got bored and started to disperse, some shoving him as they left the plot of land. He picked himself up after they left, brushing off the dust that clung to his clothes. He dragged himself back to the house they were staying in and rang the doorbell. Slaine heard his caretaker click her tongue as she opened the door._

_“Did you get into another fight?” She feigned her worry, continuing to read her novel as he knelt on the cold tile floor in front of her and nodded, hanging his head low._

_“What have I said before?” She glared at Slaine, as if he was a spot that she couldn’t get rid of._

_“Don’t cause trouble for dad…” Slaine muttered, the flick of a book page filled the silence._

_“And me. Now go wash yourself and stay in your room.” He stood up and shuffled to the bathroom, twisting the nob until water sprayed out. While the water was heating he removed his clothes and stared at himself. ‘Am I really that weird?’ It was unusual to have blond hair and blue eyes in Japan but that wasn’t a good enough excuse for the treatment he was getting. He stood under the drizzling water, his hair clung to his cheeks and wished that he could play with his dad again._

_”Don’t cause trouble… Don’t cause trouble…”_

_He retreated back to his room after he dried himself and flopped onto his bed. The room was bare; only a desk, a chair, some books and a bed adorned it. The ceiling fan swung around lazily and he closed his eyes, the cries of cicadas buzzed loudly outside. He dreamt that he was alone with his dad; no research, no caretaker, no one else but the two of them. They played many games, watched movies and told each other stories. They laughed and enjoyed life, just the two of them. A futile dream._

_“Don’t cause trouble.”_

Inaho convinced the guards to let them have a private conversation, stating that he would be able to protect himself without their help. They walked away with a grumbleHe considered hiring new guards but it was difficult to find ones who weren’t angry at what Slaine has done. Slaine gazed at Inaho as he walked over to the bed and sat down. Maybe it was because of the mayhem but Slaine only just notice the eyepatch that covered his left eye.

“What happened?” His hands flailed about, apologising for blurting it out so insensitively. Even though it didn’t look like it, Inaho was fascinated. The way Slaine acted was completely different from his behaviour when he had his memories.

“Do you mean my left eye?” Slaine shyly nodded, a blush creeping up onto his face and Inaho, though he didn’t understand why, wanted to coax more reactions like this out of Slaine. Even the guards at the entrance were in disbelief as they witnessed the range of emotions he was showing. Never in a million years could they imagine this homicidal leader to blush or be so timid. The thought chilled them to their bones; the fact that he was acting so ‘humane’, so oblivious to the fact that he killed thousands and that something changed him. Something changed him into the monster he was before and it could very well happen to anyone.

“It was an accident.” _Probably,_ Inaho thought with contempt since he would never know, now that Slaine has lost his memories. He saw Slaine raise an eyebrow but didn’t push further.

“So, what’s your name?”

“Inaho Kaizuka.”

“Slaine Troyard,” Slaine shut his mouth, now pondering how Inaho knew his name despite having never met him, “do you remember anything about Vers?” Inaho stared at Slaine whose eyes twinkled brightly and a smile adorned his face naturally; like it belonged there. He shook his head, shrugged his shoulders and started giggling a bit.

“No, what is that? Is it some kind of food?” Inaho nodded to himself, _I need to report this._ He motioned for the guards to come over.

“Stay with Slaine, I need to go to headquarters.” A chorus of ‘yes sir’s rang through the room and he walked out while the guards grabbed the chairs that sat around. One coughed and shifted awkwardly before trying to initiate conversation.

“Why don’t we introduce ourselves? I’m Shiki, but you can call me Shi if you want.” The guard had dyed his hair a dark red but his roots were showing. He flashed a grin before shifting his attention to the other guards.

“I’m Nori.” The guy next to Shi nodded, his brown eyes indicated that he was feeling sleepy. A small smile made its way onto Slaine’s face and Nori mirrored him. The metal chair clanged on the ground, startling the small group. The man stomped to the door and turned to the group, glaring daggers at Slaine.

“I can’t do this, how can you all pretend he’s not the shittiest guy on Earth? Have fun playing with that psycho.” He spat, storming out towards the entrance. The doctor glanced up from his work as he heard thundering footsteps towards him.

“Hey,” he waved, getting the guard’s attention, “what’s the rush?”

“I’m outta here. Can you believe they’re being nice to that sicko?”

“W-well, it is strange that Slaine lost his memory but, he’s just a kid.”

“You all make me sick, glad we beat him up when-“ his eyes widened before he hurried off. The doctor jotted down some notes before standing up and headed down the hall. The melodic sound of Slaine’s laughter filled the room and the others were getting along well with him. He smiled to himself before interrupting the conversation.

“How are you doing, Slaine?” The bag landed on the floor with a dull thud and the doctor rummaged through to find his tools. “I have to see how you’re doing; it’s protocol.” After the tests were conducted he nodded and said that he needed to write the report.

“Your condition’s okay but I’ll send in some food later, since you haven’t eaten. You guys have fun.” Everyone nodded and thanked him before continuing their discussion.

"That guy was just being a dick, don't mind him." Shi comforted, patting Slaine's shoulder. The two guards had made themselves comfortable on the bed while he was blubbering about why he said all that.  
  
"So are you guards or something?" Slaine changed the subject, eyeing their uniforms.   
  
"Yeah, something like that." Nori glanced at Shi slightly concerned but he lightly shook his head.   
  
"Okay kid, here's a fun game, guess what we're guarding." Nori's eyes widened slightly but kept his mouth shut. _I might murder him later_. Slaine observed the room, noting the bed, table and dusty books at the corner of the room. _Was it a person?_ One way to find out.   
  
"Are you guarding someone?"  
  
"Bingo! Good job." He patted him on the back and Slaine grinned, happy that he guessed correctly.   
  
"Who are you guarding though?" Shi winked.  
  
"That's classified information." Before long all three of them were laughing about meaningless things and stories that Nori and Shi shared.   
  
"There was this one time," Nori explained between fits of laughter, "Shi got really drunk-"  
  
"Oh no, Nori please-"  
  
"And, and he actually gave the police officer everything except his ID and said,"   
  
"'I'm a guard! You’ve gotta believe me!'" Nori badly imitated Shi's drunk voice and he groaned while Slaine was thrown into more fits of laughter. Yet, somewhere deep in his mind he was worried that he was being a pest to the two. **_Don't cause trouble._** _I know and I’m not._ He thought bitterly.   
  
"You got any stories to share?" Shi asked in a gruff voice, avoiding their eye contact and scratching his head. Slaine suppressed his laughter and tried to think of some funny stories he could share.   
  
"Not many," he sighed when he couldn't think of anything, "my life was pretty dull since my dad was always researching the..."   
  
"The... Whatever it was." It was strange that his dad dedicated his whole life to that yet he couldn't remember what it was.   
  
"Well that's okay," Shi mischievously grinned and devil horns seemed to sprout from his forehead.   
  
"There was this time when-"  
  
There was a knock at the door and Yuki's face popped through, interrupting Shi.   
  
"Hey, the doc called and said you wanted food? Plus I wanted to see-" her smile was wiped off and replaced with a frown as she pushed the door with a horrible screech. She threw the food on the table and marched over to the bed, where the guards already stood up and tried explaining.   
  
"You-! I thought they executed you!" She shouted, boiling with rage. Slaine unconsciously crawled into fetal position, distraught by her rambling. _What does she mean executed...? What have I-_  
  
"Don't ignore me!"  
  
"Officer Kaizuka! Please cease this behaviour," Shi latched onto her arms, preventing her from punching anything while Nori held her back.   
  
"Officer Kaizuka, please. Slaine has lost his memory; he's harmless now so please don't-"   
  
"You mean he forgot that he almost killed my brother?! Or the fact that he tried to take over-"  
  
"That's enough!! Please!" Shi and Nori desperately tried to calm her while Slaine covered his face, soft sobs muffled behind his hands.   
  
"Can we talk about this?! Please?" Nori aggressively whispered to Yuki, nothing staring each other down.   
  
"Fine, fine." She clenched her fists and pointed at Slaine, "you better explain why he's not dead after everything he's done."  
  
* * *  
  
"Yes, they're just in the room down the hall... No, they can't hear me. Rest assured, everyone who needs to know will know and that guard... Well his days are limited... No, keep the Hypergate closed and "convince" the Empress. I'm counting on you." He hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket. He licked his lips and a twisted smile spread across his face, a mad glint in his eye.   
  
"Now I just have to finish this report."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think will happen when Inaho gets back? What will they talk about? I dropped some hints about something in this chapter so do what you will with that. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! I really appreciate it~! :)
> 
> also?? i?? suck at??? summaries??? yep
> 
> P.S if you use the initials of this story it's BS just like this is :) jk jk


	3. Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuki arrives!  
> The cause is known!  
> A (poor) summary of the anime!  
> Godzilla! (a mention)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly can't think of a serious summary so have dot points.

The broadcast of the Empress was fuzzy and the static made it difficult to hear her. Inaho stood at the back of the room watching the video with the other leaders, who were starting to get frustrated at the video’s quality. It had been going on for over an hour and she was losing the audience’s interest.

“If you can’t get the video to work there will be no discussion.” One of the leaders hissed, checking her watch with an irritable demeanour.

“Please, it’ll…ly be a sec…” The video cut off again and the room finally burst with rage, protests and accusations rang throughout the room as many left. Soon, only Inaho and a few other generals stayed, presenting him with a chance to speak about Slaine’s condition.

“Sir, if I may.” The flick of a gloved wrist signed that he had permission to speak.

“Count Troyard has shown symptoms of the virus. He is currently still confined.” Concerned chatter filled the silence until the video was up again, this time in good quality.

“I apologize for the delay,” she paused and bit her lip, clearly upset that most of the audience left but kept her posture, “the situation here is… Complicated.”

“Explain.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

“The only ones who don’t have the virus are the nobles and the high-class members of Vers. We don’t know what this means but it may be due to the lifestyle differences, we’ll look more into the matter. I doubt that anyone from Earth-“

“I apologize for the interruption, Empress Asseylum, however Ensign Kaizuka has informed me that Troyard has shown symptoms of the virus. He was born on Earth, yes?” The Empress seemed taken aback, as she nodded solemnly.

“That is correct.”

“Then tell me, how will you ensure the safety of our citizens? The war has devastated both sides and the last thing we need is a virus here. I apologize but we can’t open the Hypergate.”

“But-“

“The decision is final.” Asseylum looked devastated that she couldn’t win the discussion. She adjusted her posture once again, her weariness showing through her mask.

“We’ll keep investigating here. Thank you for your time.” The screen went black and the chairs swivelled around until the leaders faced each other.

“Ensign Kaizuka, you are dismissed.”

“Yes, sir.” He saluted the group and walked out the room, the doors closing behind him with a click. He checked his phone which had been muted for the meeting and there was a notification from Longwei, the doctor. An irritated sigh came from his lips as he marched towards the exit and boarded his car. The engine revved and he drove towards the prison, through the busy traffic and flashing screens that showed news segments about the virus on Vers. _News travels quickly,_ he muttered under his breath.

* * *

The hushed whispers were directed at him and he tried to ignore them, feeling a less venomous gaze on him. The woman was Inaho’s sister yet their reactions towards him varied, he wondered why. A soft pat on his back surprised him, making him jolt. He turned his head and saw Shi’s sympathetic face and slipped into a seat next to him.

“Slaine, are you alright?” Even though the man had a rough demeanour he had a kind personality. A small smile emerged, almost on instinct, as he nodded his head. He didn’t know why but he felt a strange melancholy, like it had been there all along yet only decided to show up now. He wanted to cry, to scream and demand answers to why people hated him. What had he done?

“You know,” Shi cleared his throat, interrupting Slaine from him thoughts, “it’s complicated but, ah-“ his attention turned to the duo that were walking towards them, the woman still frowning with Nori looking drained of life. They both sat down, Nori next to Shi and Yuki in front of Slaine, who looked away awkwardly.

“Slaine,” Her voice was deep and commanding which made him face her involuntarily, “we’re going to tell you what you did.” His voice was caught in his throat and he gulped nervously. Shi whispered encouraging things but it was drowned out in Slaine’s torrent of thoughts.   
  
"Do you know anything about Vers?" Yuki nodded, given a clear starting point from his shaking head.   
  
"Vers is another name for Mars. On the moon there's something called a Hypergate and one day it exploded, causing Heaven's Fall. Since then our relationship with Vers wasn't the best. Do you get it so far?" Slaine nodded, his stomach twisting and knotting, anxious for when he would come in.   
  
"3 years ago, when the Empress was still a princess, she came here to make peace however some assassins took her life- or her double anyway. We rescued the real princess and she wanted to make peace with Earth. Give or take some things and we travelled to Tanegashima and that's where Inaho met you." His heart pounding loudly and blood rushed through his ears. Is this where everything went wrong? He blinked a couple of times when Yuki gave a small chuckle, a genuine one.   
  
"He said that the one piloting the Martian aircraft had the same enemy so he could use him to his advantage. That pilot was you, Slaine. But then he shot you down, you'll have to ask him why." Shi and Nori's facial expressions were a mixture of sympathetic, yikes, and humorous while Slaine had a horrified expression.   
  
"Anyway, I don't know what happened after but..." She took a deep breath, "you shot my brother in the eye and took the princess back to Vers. From then on you continued the war. You were married to Asseylum for a while until the real Asseylum showed up and married Klancain. You and Inaho thought and he saved you and imprisoned you. This is the shortened version." Slaine found it hard to absorb yet he shook like a leaf, replaying what she said over and over. He looked over to Shi and Nori, who had supportive looks yet they had their fists clenched then he turned to Yuki, her hard gaze returned and made him feel isolated. His breathing started to elevate and he could feel the heat of his tears. Shi, Nori and he were laughing just a second ago, was that all an act? An act, because he lead a war and forgot all about it? He stood up abruptly and stumbled to his bed and covered himself with the blanket despite their protests.   
  
"Slaine, it's fine, we forgive you and-"  
  
"But it's not enough! I lead a whole war! I-I probably killed so many people! Yet you chose to hang out with a- with a monster like me!" Slaine sobbed violently, covering his mouth to minimise the noise. The room was thrown into awkward silence with words that wouldn't come out and feelings that were on different wavelengths.   
  
"Officer Kaizuka, this is a restricted area. You shouldn't be here." Inaho stood at the entrance, Shi and Nori stood up to salute him before sitting back down.   
  
"Nao! Why didn't you tell me about this?"  
  
"You didn't need to know." Inaho averted Yuki's gaze and settled on the lump on the bed and sighed.   
  
"You told him didn't you," Yuki followed Inaho while he was walking towards the bed.   
  
"Well, what should I have done then? Pretend he didn't lead the war?"   
  
"...me."   
  
"What?" The siblings asked in synchronised timing, stopping just a foot away from the bed.   
  
"You should've executed me like... Like she said." Slaine muttered, the bed rocked slightly as he hiccupped.  ** _Saazbaum wanted to get revenge for Orlane’s death._** He poked his head from the blanket and stared at the group before shuffling back into the blanket. _Who said that?_ The thought seemed like a distant memory and a wave of sadness crashed into him, confusing him more. _Who’s Saazbaum? Who’s Orlane?_  

“What is it, Slaine?” Inaho’s apathetic tone snapped Slaine out of his confusion and he managed a weak, throaty ‘nothing’ before coughing hysterically. Inaho’s attention turned back to Yuki and the guards, deciding how he would deal with them. 

“Shi, Nori. You’ll start living with Slaine in the building. I take that there aren’t any objections?” Shi shrugged casually and Nori shook his head. They both lived on their own and thought it’d be advantageous to live here, since they didn’t have to pay rent and Slaine wasn’t a bad kid. 

“There will be trucks to pick up your belongings tomorrow, be prepared. Let’s go, Yuki-nee.” The siblings walked out, leaving Shi, Nori and Slaine in uncomfortable silence. The pair walked over to Slaine’s bed and attempted to initiate a conversation. “Hey, did you hear that? We’ll be living with you! Won’t that be fun?” Nori shook the blanket but was brushed off. 

“Can I sleep?” His whisper was barely audible, after crying his eyes were puffy and he felt drained.  

“Yeah, we’ll be in the room next to you if you need anything.” Shi patted him and they left him alone. He closed his eyes and sleep made its way easily. The soft rays of sunlight were covered by clouds while soft exhales could be heard. 

* * * 

Slaine woke up beneath a starry sky, the millions of twinkling lights seemed to greet him when his eyes opened. He got up with a groan, the sultry smell blasted him, making him shiver violently. The fence stood tall around the small block of land, the ground littered with beautiful flower petals and more danced down to the ground from the tree branch that reached out for the stars. The pool reflected the soft light that emitted from the mass of stars and the pale moon. Slaine stared in wonder, captivated by the beauty of the scenery he inched closer to the pool, almost in a trance. 

With a splash, the image was ripped apart yet after a short while the water relaxed and the area returned to a peaceful loneliness.  

* * * 

Slaine gasped for air as he fumbled to get out of the blanket he had apparently covered himself with. Rain drizzled softly outside and a gentle roll of thunder passed overhead as he collected his thoughts. The sound of television in the other room caught his attention. _I should talk to Shi and Nori._ He smoothed the wrinkles on his shirt and pants before heading over to where they hung out. His feet patted against the floor and he stifled a yawn. Even though the door was open he knocked before waiting for their reply.

  
“Oh, hey. Come in.” Nori furrowed his eyebrows and shuffled over to make space for Slaine to sit. Shi changed the channel when Slaine flopped into the space in the couch. 

“So, how are you?” 

“I’m fine. I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to cover my head while I slept.” Explosions and screams erupted from the TV when the program was doing a marathon of action movies, the one on TV was Godzilla. 

“Do you remember what happened during lunch?” Slaine closed his eyes to try and recall what occurred. 

“Well, that lady got really mad but I can’t quite remember what she said.” Shi and Nori exchanged worried glances. 

“We talked about Vers, remember now?” Slaine shook his head and looked at them with questioning eyes. Nori shrugged and check his wristwatch, which displayed 6:54pm. A low rumble from Slaine’s stomach made them all chuckle, Slaine scratching his head from embarrassment. 

“Well it’s late. Let’s get dinner ordered.” 

* * * 

The faint aqua glow of the flickering hologram clashed with the intense orange and purples from the setting sun. Inaho and Yuki sat together, shifting to find a comfortable position. Asseylum cautiously surveyed the room and checked behind her before heaving a sigh.   
  
"Thank goodness I was able to get a hold of you two." She spoke with a hushed whisper. It appeared that she was kneeling, maybe in her bedroom or some other place. Yuki's reply clashed with Inaho's and she sent a quick glare before turning back to the hologram.   
  
"We found the cause if the virus." She glanced around with fear, her body stiff and tense.   
  
"Why aren't you telling the UFE leaders?" Inaho was worried about how Asseylum was acting.   
  
"I'm not supposed to know. The virus was made by someone on Vers. When I have a conference with the leaders it’s public." Yuki and Inaho exchanged surprised glances.   
  
"It was made by someone on Vers?" Yuki's voice lowered to a volume that matched Asseylum's. She nodded before rapidly turning her head and cutting the connection. The siblings sat in the room, now only illuminated by the faint glow of purple and the sound of their breaths.   
  
"Do you think it was Slaine?"

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! It means a lot to me :)


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